This invention relates generally as indicated to a toy truck and, more particularly, to a toy truck having a part resembling a truck tractor, a part resembling a truck trailer, and a pivotal connection therebetween.
A toy truck is a popular item with a child as he/she is learning to move and manipulate rolling items across different surfaces and terrains. Typically, a toy truck has a part resembling a truck tractor, a part resembling a truck trailer and a pivotal connection therebetween. The tractor part usually has a front portion shaped like a chassis and cab body and a platform portion extending rearwardly therefrom. The trailer part usually has a front portion that extends over the tractor""s platform portion and a rear portion extending rearwardly therefrom. The pivotal connection is commonly positioned between the tractor""s platform portion and the trailer""s front portion. A child can control the truck""s movement by pulling or pushing the tractor part, with the pivotal connection allowing the trailer part to pivot relative to the tractor part so that the toy truck can turn corners and accomplish other maneuvers.
The present invention provides a toy truck that provides a secure but child-compatible connection between the tractor part and the trailer part, limits the maximum turn of the tractor part relative to the trailer part, and/or guards connection components against unnecessary wear-and-tear when the trailer part is detached from the tractor part.
More particularly, the present invention provides a toy truck wherein the pivotal connection includes a recess on either the tractor part or the trailer part and a pivot-projection on the other part. The pivot projection comprises a stem and a capture head having a wide portion and a distal portion tapering inwardly from the wide portion. A passageway leads to the recess and the passageway includes an inlet wider than the wide portion of the pivot projection, a resilient outlet slightly less wide (in a relaxed state) than the wide portion of the pivot projection, and a tapering wall therebetween. These features facilitate the initial mating between the capture head and the passageway, ease the outward urging of the resilient outlet during connection steps, and prevent inadvertent detachment of the parts when, for example, the child lifts the toy truck by only its trailer part.
The present invention additionally or alternatively provides a toy truck wherein the pivotal connection includes a projection-and-groove arrangement which limits the range of relative pivotal movement of the tractor and trailer parts and thus dictates a maximum turn position for the toy truck. This arrangement provides a finger gap (e.g., 0.50 inches or more) between the most-adjacent side faces of the tractor part and the trailer part, respectively, when the toy truck is at a maximum turn position. In this manner, a child has the option of grasping the tractor part by placing his/her fingers in this finger gap.
The present invention further provides a toy truck wherein projection components of the pivotal connection (e.g., the pivot projection and/or the turn-limiting projection) are contained within a projection-protecting space. Specifically, the projection(s) are recessed relative to a line extending from the ground-contacting front edge of the tractor part to a ground-contacting point of the truck""s rear wheels. This positioning prevents the projections from contacting the ground and suffering unnecessary wear-and-tear if, for example, the child pushes the detached trailer part across the floor or other surface.